Seguro and Montenegro complement each other. And “two men can change Portugal”

An autograph on a national flag in Luxembourg allowed the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to admit that they complement each other and that “this is how it has to be”. And, says a Portuguese emigrated to the country, “two men can change Portugal”, an “extraordinary country to live in”.

The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister chose the Portuguese community in Luxembourg to leave a joint message of rapprochement with the diasporadefense of the language and appeal for the return of emigrants e lusodescendentes.

António José Seguro and Luís Montenegro they participated in the first official celebrations of Portugal Day, Camões and the Portuguese Communities, where they highlighted that Portugal needs the Portuguese who live abroad, whether they return or continue to build their lives abroad.

The trip to Luxembourg also marked the first celebration of Portugal Day jointly between Seguro, who took office as President of the Republic on March 9, and Montenegro.

Institutional symbolism It became clear from the first moment public of the two responsible, when a Portuguese emigrant, Pedro Teixeirahe requested autographs on a national flag.

Safe signed on the green side, which he associated with hope, and Montenegro chose red. “So we complete each other“, commented the head of state. “That’s how it has to be”, replied the prime minister.

The episode served as a motivation for a visit marked by appeals to unity and the appreciation of the Portuguese community. Despite saying he is disillusioned with politics, Pedro Teixeira believes that “two men can change Portugal”. Montenegro replied that They were there “for that”.

Later, in front of the Portuguese community, the prime minister defended that Portugal counts on emigrants and Portuguese descendants for the future of the country. “Portugal needs everyone grandmas”, he said, admitting that this contribution can be made both from Luxembourg and through a return to Portugal.

Seguro reinforced the idea, saying that the country “Do you want to get yours back?”: those who emigrated and also those who were born abroad, but continue to feel Portugal as part of their identity.

The President insisted on a message he had recently left to young Portuguese people in Madrid: Portugal is “an extraordinary country to live in” and must also become “extraordinary to work in”. The phrase summarized one of the central ideas of the visit: the return of the diaspora depends not only on the emotional connection with the country, but also on the existence of professional opportunities and attractive living conditions.

A Portuguese language it was another axis of displacement. In a meeting with around 150 students learning Portuguese at the Artikuss Cultural Center, in Sanem, Seguro asked the Luxembourg authorities to increase the presence of Portuguese as a language of choice in the school curriculum.

The head of state recalled that around 1/3 two residents in Luxembourg is Lusophone and Portuguese is the second main languagespoken at home by public school students.

Seguro described Portuguese as “a key that opens doors in the world whole”, as it is spoken by around 260 million people on 4 continents. To the students, he left a message of double belonging: having two countries is not having “a divided heart”, but “a bigger heart”, which includes Portugal and Luxembourg.

Montenegro also valued language as the most effective link to keep the connection with Portuguese communities alive. The Prime Minister stated that Portuguese is, in addition to being an identity mark, an economic asset, capable of bringing companies togetherinstitutions and communities spread across the world.

The visit was also marked by teachers’ concerns of Portuguese abroad. The issue is not new: in May, the National Education Federation lamented, in a parliamentary committee, that it was unaware of the proposed change to the regime, which theretains opinion from the Ministry of Financeafter the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, announced, on April 7, a “revolution” in language teaching abroad.

The Prime Minister asked to wait for the outcome of the negotiation and Seguro assured that the matter will be analyzed.

In a note of international affirmation, Montenegro recalled Portugal’s position as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a dispute in which the country received the most votes, ahead of Germany and Austria. The celebrations will then continue nationwide, on the 9th and 10th of June, on the island of Terceira, in the Azores.

The celebrations of Portugal Day now continue in the national territory, on the island of Terceira, in the Azores, on the 9th and 10th of June.